A&E continues to be attentive to fans of vintage television shows, even lesser-known ones, with its release of the 1972 British action-adventure series The Protectors. Starring Robert Vaughn (better known from The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), Nyree Dawn Porter, and Tony Anholt as three freelance private detectives, Season 1 pits the three "Protectors" against various plots around the world, from smuggling to kidnapping to international espionage.

The fact that the three Protectors weren't working for any particular government, but instead hired themselves out to the highest bidder, makes for a variety of jobs (even rescuing a kidnapped poodle). Interestingly, though, this background information is not made clear in the actual episodes, which jump right into the actual adventures of the Protectors without any indication of who they are or who they work for. In the commentary for the pilot episode, director John Hough comments that there was really no time for character development in the episodes, and so they relied on the "Front Office" for characterization. While the reliance on promotional materials might have done the trick when the show originally aired, the lack of backstory and characterization in the episodes themselves does make it a bit harder going for viewers thirty years later.

With its exotic locales, frequent action stunts, and suave, generally well-dressed characters, the episodes of The Protectors have the feel of miniature James Bond films. Miniature is indeed the word: with each episode running only 25 minutes, the action is quite fast-paced, and there's not a whole lot of time for developing convoluted plots. The stories aren't badly done, but they're certainly fairly light-weight.

One thing is certainly true of The Protectors, and that's the fact that the show is very dated, and in more than the oh-so-seventies hairstyles and wardrobes. More so than other genres, action films and television tend to age badly, since they rely more on impressing the viewer with the latest technical tricks in stunts and camera work. The Protectors was a fairly stunt-heavy show, but the "oh, how cool!" effect of the stunts has faded over the ensuing thirty years. The 1970s fascination with the zoom is also notably in evidence here. The result is that for the most part, the action (which is the key element of the episodes) feels rather hokey to a modern viewer. Overall, the episodes are watchable, offering fluffy light entertainment, but their main appeal will probably be nostalgic, to viewers who were original fans.

The DVD

The Protectors: Season 1 includes all 26 first-season episodes on four DVDs, which are packaged in individual keepcases inside a sturdy and stylish cardboard slipcase.

Video

The episodes of The Protectors are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, and look quite good considering the 1972 air date. To be sure, the image is somewhat soft and grainy, but it's not obtrusively so, and overall the show has a clean and bright look. Colors are natural-looking and bright, and the print is nicely free of dirt or scratches.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack does a reasonable job here, coming in at slightly above average. The dialogue is occasionally a bit flat, but for the most part is always clear and easy to understand. The cheesy 70s music is well balanced with the rest of the track.

Extras

The special features are fairly limited, consisting of just one "extra": an audio commentary from director John Hough on the pilot episode, "2000 ft. to Die." This is an interesting commentary, though: Hough offers a lot of detailed comments and reminiscences about the show, and keeps up a steady flow of commentary.

Final thoughts

Fans of The Protectors should certainly make a point of buying this set: while it doesn't offer much by way of special features, the image and sound quality are excellent for a thirty-year-old television series. Viewers who haven't seen any of the episodes would do better to rent first, though: the fluffy action is moderately entertaining, but the series is rather dated.